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8/1/1973 - Mind Matter by Kenneth Cavander

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT ORLD AFFAIRS KC St Ronan Terrace New Haven Mind Matter Connecticut 06511 October Ist Mr Richard Nolte Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York NY 10017 Dear Mr Nolte The Associationfor Humanistic Psychology world organization formed development human sciences which recognize tinctively human qualities which toward fulfillment innate capacities people dividually society So description Association Humanistic Psychology announcement eleventh annual meting Montreal August September I decided attend meeting several reasons First overall Association appeal Second program meeting contained events beyond borders normally considered psych ology touched theatre I about events later Flnally whleh I aborating Jean Houston featured event meeting I anxious audience response Humanistic Psychology branched other stems psychology Behaviorism Psychoanalysis fifties Since itself third force psychology defining study creativity growth organism basic gratification actualization higher values transcendence psycho logical health Its known exponents probably Abraham Maslow Rollo May From specialist I understand looked suspicion other branches discipline because welcomes fringe pseudo scientlfic practices parapsycho logical research study eastern mystical disciplines called transpersonal psychology encounter groups psychodramas great The Assoclationeleventh annual meeting prefaced ringing manifesto which quote Humankind running ourselves unable rapid drastic changes taking place world We clearest prophets future likely sterile uninspiring restrictive The price survival Operative definition Journal umnisti Psy quoted Readings Huma sYcho Suti Vich makes living valuable Our apparent inability solve problems earth occurring developing tools should possible We achieved technical proficiency necessary provide world habitants developing rediscovering helping another vitality awareness If create world which possible swiftly toward outlook understanding If vival fittest develop states consciousness enable humanity crisis meeting toward higher levels being people Especially interesting sessions theatrical coloring The fantasy popped everywhere THE USE OF FANTASY TO PROMOTE INTIMATE COICATION title session another called LAST SURVIVORS fantasy potentiate experience between people there FANTASY AND AWARENESS EXERCISES employed therapeutic Even striking sessions borrowed explicitly theatrical metaphor SYMBOLDRAMA which creative trance evoke incarnate psycho physical energies through medium mental imagery present during hypno gogic state working definition theatre HYPNODRAMA AND FUTURE PROJECTION which participants could enter hypnosis group iduction experience future through fantasy guided toward In additlo schedule offerred array psychodrama entitled IN PRAISE OF GETTING INTO THE ACT explicitly dramatic events multi media event called MULTIPLE INPUT I working Any conference intellectual smorgasbord achieve continuity concentration people wander event event trying mentaltitillataion instant amusement My sampling somewhat random I sawHYPEODRAMA SYMBOLDRAMA I couldn Judgment Humanistic Psychology whole conference What wa___s interesting though worth storing future reference inner rhythm whole event could sense words phrases ecurring throughout sessions response drama If carried concealed microphone conference would heard above complaints about being excluded sessions enquiries directions comments service hotel refrain would something making contact letting getting barriers relaxing breaking through relaxing touch yourself I relaxing I communication about touch think means relaxing These little fragments driftwood conversation tokens clearly delineated needs fears aspirations I think animated almost everyone They expressed themselves constant almost nagging search spiritual experience there counter thrust toward verbal experience contact comforta yourself feelings This striving heavenwards earthwards poignant It thing intellectually modern aches unity feels split directions another surrounded hours people openly confess complete sense another unacceptable unlovely other couldn reach communicate others because inhibited Many sessions meeting devoted finding integrate these divided selves transcend means And alongside euphoria experimenting varieties psychic experience there another impulse Where seemed nerve In pursuit actualization Humanistic Psychology opens itself various techniques hypnosis journeys trance inductions which heady sense masks inhibitions But people meeting their enthusiasm about trying these techniques often recoiled attempt organize their experiences They feared manipulation I think right All these techniques exploit liberate playing emotions power profit In passages biggest response those which psychologist person placed himself position having access superior wisdom attempt change people means satirlzed described It things which people respectful during jargon Humamistic Psychology assorted cosmopolitan hocus pocus which hopefully transformed became atmosphere created I meeting minds about I On exhilarating people sincerely ferventlY devoted changing themselves society means inner adjustment through social engineering economic planning political theories At depressing dilettantism Of multi media experience instance called MULTIPLE INPUT which billed total environment energy producing medium which plays viewer sense reality could duplicated disco theque On balance though looking niche special interest encouraging People particular stake theatre finding means express things vital concern theatrical TV phographic realism quotidian surface drama considered staple audiences theatre ecting inner world metaphor collective adventure beyond boundaries commercial stages At there healthy resistence trickery chicanery realization frees Who could represent ambiguous feeling Who could incarnate bringer knowledge visions appear dangerous charlatan cynical manipulator More about other Coincidentally month performances three important theatre groups Peter Brook brought ternatlonal company which Just completed three years Paris New York Jerzy Grotowski Polish Laboratory Theatre performing Philadelphia New York based Open Theatre showing three recent works St Clements West Street I Grotowski though I watched company visit I attende session Brook Brooklyn Academy Music Open Theatre Brook peripatetic traveling Persia Africa U S coasts refresh renew company through contacts audiences often innocent theatre generally defined The company alternates periods research improvised confrontations audiences collected street corners market places One their create international theatre language transcending language cultural differences What after transformation moment sense unity among actors within audience For journeys really supreme exercises In contrast Grotowski hermetic secretive Brook believes necessity audience shares Grotowski desire forming transpersonal level psyche In rehears revealing remarks nature sound communication whether sound personal expression vehicle impersonal collective image This leads technical acting questions which there answer interesting should raised point In Open Theatre newest Nightwalk fantasies dreamer acted coarse grotesque interview Mel Gussow New York Times September partial personalities stalk stage along figures dreamer waking world distorted remembered Dreams Sleep Physical contact Non human sounds animal transformations surface their Brook Grotowski And theat rical activity there seems powerful underlying themes Humanistic Psychology meeting Words failed saying intellect ideas ailed return physical gestures basic sounds return dreams emblematic figures Christ Simpleton Judas snatches poetry Grotowski buffoon vaudeville types again snatches poetry Open Theatre explore ancient tales springboard quest enlightenment Brook Enlightenment wholeness knowledge To whole Thus theatre psycho therapy needs community coincide Even Bobby Riggs Billie Jean King match occasion thoughts subject Max Lerner theNYork Post September moved write We lamenting community world enough What community sense common oncerns stakes common grammar vocabulary things people Ii think about together When I looked Astrodome crowd screen around huddled roomful people watching screen I smelt sweet smell community In course month working problem images could theatre process along As I inter ested collection stories traditional entertainments quite complicated fables parables Boccaccio The central image plague which ethical physical infection situation which group young people themselves apart contagion escape corruption times insulate themselves physically morally above stories themselves means passing actuality providing lease bottled energies unlived fantasies narrators fascinated This summer I results encouraging This winter I would stage furth There Sufi tales which I would integrate piece western tinge And immediately there search actors invited collaborate I shall search progressing letter Sincerely Kenneth Cavander Received New York October